Toddler Falls Out of Moving Car

Toddler in Car Seat Falls Out of Car on Highway

Talk about a lesson on why you should make sure your child's car seat is properly strapped into your vehicle and you have child locks on the car door. As CityNews reports, a 2-year-old Toronto girl is lucky to be alive after falling out of a car onto a highway.

According to Sgt. Larry Zimmerman with Traffic Services, while traveling down a highway, "a child in the back seat was playing with the door handle and managed to open the door," and then all that was needed to push the car seat out of the vehicle was gravity. "It's pretty obvious here that the child's seat was not strapped in or it wouldn't have come out of the car," he says. The toddler was not injured but was taken to a hospital for evaluation. Police say an investigation is ongoing.

My children are two, three, and four. They like to get in the van ahead of me while I get the remainder of our stuff. Many times they have unbuckled the seat belt that straps their carseats in. Kids are quick, smart, and sneaky :) Mine for sure anyhow! Thank goodness there are child safety locks on the doors, cause they are able to reach the open buttons!

We use a 5 point harness system car seat and make sure the doors can't be open. Why? because I have seen my nearly 3 year old daughter open a window with her toes, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine her being able to open a door handle with her toes if she were bored enough to try it or in the right mood. Accidents happen. I'm glad this child was safe! But this can happen to ANYONE. I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened before this article.

Seriously ... for those that think they know everything... NO ONE PERSON has the knowlegde or 6th sense where kids are concerned... they are diverse and ever changing... their minds are curious and continuously exploring.... To that MOM your brilliant... Your child was curious and learnt the result of it... it was no fault of yours... I have a brilliantly minded daurghter that is alway in her own bubble.. does not see the world... I have a son who's AUTISTIC and very energetic... so yes I'm freaky all the time... but like both of us our kids safety always comes first... and that is what you did... To CAR MANUFACTURERS... this is your fault for not thinking to see that there are those safety features for us not to stress about... We choose these vehicles for the function it gives us so your job is to make parents lives easy by thinking of the valued person's using your product...

Seriously?!? My car doesn't have a "child lock" on the door or the place for those new, fancy tethers for a carseat. The ONLY way to secure my children is with a seatbelt and in their harness for their carseats. I could see something like this happening to me and you all would think I was a horrible mother. You have no idea what kind if safety features are in this parent's vehicle or if the child was indeed able to loosen themselves from their harness, undo the seatbelt and open the door. We help no one by being snooty, judgmental people. It could happen to anyone.

James 5:19- Know this, my beloved brothers. Every man must be swift about hearing, slow about speaking, slow about wrath;
I truly appreciate all you moms/g-moms and g-moms on the second go-round like myself (1.5, 3.5, 6 yo). No one of all knows it all. Especially those sanctimonious ones or they wouldn't make the idiot statements they make. Anything can happen at anytime to anyone. We are all imperfect humans and when one makes a mistake it is wise to help the ones that fall. What this mom needs is prayers from those who can to help her with the guilt she has already put on herself. God knows her heart and if it is genuine His forgiveness is good enough!

Wow, it's always so nice to hear the opinions of so many sancitmonious know it alls. They're PERFECT, have never had anything but the most expensive, newist of everything. Have NEVER made anykind of a mistake, or had to even learn anything, because they already knew IT ALL. I've raised two of my own and am raising two of my Grandsons. Anything can happen at anytime, and you just have to do what you can to do the very best you can, and leave the rest in God's hands.
But it's so nice to know that the kids of these PERFECT people will probably grow up and be just as PERFECT and sanctimonious as they're parents.
I would feel sorry for them, except I instead place my good thoughts and feelings toward the people who almost lost a child.

martasmith40996 - Something like this almost happened to me. I had taken my husbands car and didn't double check the child safety locks. They were on the last time I had used the car. Well, my husband had taken them off because he had some work buddies in the car, and forgot to tell me. Thankfully I got the car stopped before anything happened, but it was very scary.
DEttaPenaloza - All my children could buckle a five point harness system by the time they were two. And, could unbuckle it by the time they were two and a half. Nothing is foolproof. Fact is we don't know all the variables in this situation. It is truly sad that this happened but, thankfully the child has survived the incident. Now the police can figure out and piece together how it happened and possible why.

If your child can reach down and unbuckle the seat belt that is used to secure their car seat... they aren't being buckled in correctly. This was a 2 year old. They should still be using a 5 point harness and it should be secure enough that the child can't bend forward enough to grab the seat belt. Or bend sideways enough to grab the door handle. Your defense of this is just more crap.

O.K., my first kneejerk reaction is to say What the hell! The parents should be arrested! But, I have to be honest, I have 3 grandchildren who have very responsble parents who reserch the carseats & booster seats and make sure they are properly installed & still one time one of them unhooked the straps and stood up in the car. They all know how to unhook the carseat and the straps holding the carseat or booster seat in. They have all been given the talk about what happens if they do, and my daughter-in-law installed a special mirror to keep an eye on them, because as you know kids cannot be trusted! When they learn how to do something they will do it-because they have no concept of death or injury as a result of their actions. I am surprised that the child lock wasn't on just in case, my grandchildren are locked in with the childproof lock just so they won't fall out if they unhook themselves. but I am not going to judge, I suspect the parents feel bad enough without my input. I seriously doubt any parent anywhere can HONESTLY that they never made a mistake as a parent that could have had serious consequences? Anyone?

Yes, its true that it only takes a second to make sure your child is secured safely & correctly into the carseat as well as the car itself. However, before everyone passes judgement on what a "moron" this parent is have you considered that they in fact could have checked?! My 2 year old son knows how to buckle & unbuckle HIMSELF both from his carseat as well as being able to reach over and pop the seatbelt buckle that secures it. I have to constantly turn around check while driving that he is still secured. I do use safety locks on the doors but what if they malfunction? Nothing is 100% nothing. If this parent is indeed negligent then i absolutely agree they should b charged accordingly. But I do not think it is fair to make assumptions about a situation none of you witnessed. Everyone is quick to shout "That would never happen to me" when in reality you never know. Thank God that the child was unharmed and move on with your negativity & condemning words.

Ok first calm down people it was an accident. Kids are kids they press buttons they shouldn't pull switches they shouldn't etc.how do we know it's wasn't an exhausted parent in the front seat we all know how hard it is with kids give this person a break thankfully nothing happen to the child so let's help each other. The next parent you see that is struggling with 4 kid s in the supermarket give them a hand instead of a glaring disapproving look that makes every parent feel like an inch tall...

it takes a second to check the seat when placing a child in, as well a second to check the child door lock! I don't believe this to be an accident for the fact that a 2 year old needs to be buckled in a harness so the parent would need to be in the back to do the buckling (should have checked), when the door is opened (should have checked) as well the fire department will install seats/check to ensure they are in correctly. If the child was able to undo the bucked in seat ... the child was obviously not in tight enough. and weather the usa buckles are used or a seat belt, there is also the tether strap that needs to be attached! how could so many 'mistakes' happen!? This should NEVER happen to a child.... if a parent is smart enough to own a licence they need to have the common sense as well to ensure a child is safe!

wow i mean unless that kid was in a booster seat then it shouldnt have fallen out o mean really its not the fact if it wasnt straped in right if the seat fell all the way out then it wasnt strapped in at all so yes i would look into it my self cause for me my babys seat is strapped in to my carseat and i do a once check EVERY time i put her in it cause you never know also for people that need help on installling a car seat they have places that will teach you how to do it and make sure its safe and that you have the right seat for ur little one also if you cant aford a seat they will give you one free check with ur nearest hospital or ask a doctor a mom of two ps every car i know of has a child lock even my old 84 honda

This is kind of outrageous. I do believe the mother and or father needs to be charged with neglect. If the car is not outfitted with child locks, then the seat needs to be placed in the middle of the backseat, and STRAPPED IN.

Although some people may disagree with me, it IS right that an investigation into parenting safety be performed. Yes, I know that this may have just been truly an accident. But still, it's not about protecting a parent from the consequences of (what COULD be) an embarassing mistake, but rather, about protecting children. Although I know that at time DOES make grievous mistakes, taking children from, capable, responsible and law abiding parents, nonetheless, their actions are to protect children and families, not to protect the reputations of parents.

Hey moron! That's one reason you put on the child safety locks AND - OR put your child in the CENTER seat belt! Grow a brain! Some people shouldn't be allowed to reproduce and you're a perfect example! You should be charged with child neglect!